Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 January 1907 — Indiana Stale News [ARTICLE]

Indiana Stale News

FARMER BEATS CHAITFFEVR. Crowd A pitlaiiilm nt Punishment 'AdmlnlMtereil to Speeding; Autolxt. Fully people witnessed a highly sensational spectacle on the main Street of La Porte, when George > Lehter, a farmer, drove at breakneck speed from a point east of the city and, baiting the chauffeur of an automobile bound for Chicago, administered to him an unmerciful beating while the crowd looked on and applauded the act. After Lelitor had desisted the chauffeur, bleding from a number of wounds, got into the automobile with the owner of the machine and started westward. The auto driver compeiled Leliter to give him full possession of the road. 'Leliter then lashed his horse into a run, and deaf to the pleading of his wife, who had previously been injured by the reckless driving of an auto, started in pursuit of the machine. Reck- , less driving of machines has so’enraged La Porte people that Leliter was hailed as a man equal to the hour. The chauffeur and the owner of the machine refused to divulge their, though threatening to return and institute proceedings against Leliter for assault with intent to kill. V BRIDE IS HELD AS KIDXAI’KU. Indiana Woman I* Divorced, Married and Arrested In Three Weeks. Divorced, married and arrested for kidnaping her two children from Terre Haute is the record which has been made by Clarissa Poynard within three weeks. After being granted a divorce at Terre Haute the woman went to South Bend and by accident she met' 1 and fell in love with Nelson Poynard. After setting the marriage date she returned to Terre Haute and kidnaped the children: The other night her-marriage «to I’oynard took place. The following morning she occupied a cell in the police station, her arrest being brought about on ' complaint of her former husband on a kidnaping charge. CRIMINAL FREES! OH AFT HINT. Release of “ned” Austin at South Bend Regarded with Suspicion. Thomas Edward Clarke, alias Red Austin, who has a remarkable criminal record, was released from prison at South Bend, where he was being held on .$7,500 bail accused of having swindled Henry Croofoot, a farmer, out of $5,000 by a bunko game. The case against Clarke was nolled by State’s Attorney' Kurtz, although the man was under five indictments. The prosecutor’s action caused a sensation and while no direct charges are made there are hints of graft in connection with Clarke’s release.

SICK WOMAN REFUSED DOCTOII. II unhand a Faith Curlst and Wife Sutlers In Cold Rooms. Forcible entrance was obtained the other night to the country home of Oscar D. Combes, a faith curist and wealthy farmer near La Porte. Mrs. Coombes was found to be seriously ill, her husband having refused her medical attendance, While the house was cold, it being Combes' belief that fire was an invention of the devil. For several nights the neighbors have heard cries and it has now developed that the wailings were part of the incantations indulged in by Combes. The authorities will make an investigation. EDITOR-BANKER IN TROUBLE. W. H. Roney of Nohlesville In Charged with Appropriating Money. Former President William H. Roney of the Cicero private bank and publisher of the Nohlesville Times, has been arrested on a charge of embezzlement and grand larceny and is now under bond of SB,OOO t) answer the charge. The Cicero bank recently was sold to the Farmers and Merchants’ bank of Cicero and soon after the sale experts were placed at work on the books. It is claimed Roney took $4,157 of the bank's money without authority, as shbwn by the books.

Baby Dies of Broken Heart. Because God would not f,en<l baek his little, sister to spend Christmas with him Morris Elfrieh, aged 4, died in Evansville of broken heart. The child had diphtheria, but the physicians said the little one’s end was hastened by the death of his little sister, which occurred a week before. Alleged Slayer Cleared. The jury in the case of Shirley Erwin, charged with murder in the first degree by causing a wreck on the Southern railroad at Mauren, on the night of Aug. 15, brought in a verdict at Petersburg, acquitting the defendant. The jury was out twenty-two hours. Hunter Shot; Loses Eye. James Roberts of Evansville, while hunting near Boonville in a party of whieh Charles Covert, Evansville postmaster and ex-Mayor, was a member, was accidentally shot by Covert in the face and will lose the sight or one eye.

Brief State Happenings. Hamilton W. Forbes, Baltimore and .Ohio agent at Coburg, was struck and killed by a train. In Terre Haute Harry Bradshaw was shot and wounded seriously in a fight with Monty Owens, ___ The Burt Hotel at Decatur was destrbyed by a fire that for a time threatened this entire city. Louis L. Ashaui, ged 30, an Indianapolis attorney, died from the effects of morphine. Ulysses B. Kellogg, the alleged Canadian land "swindler,” was found guilty in the Tippecanoe county court in Lafayette and sentenced to serve from two to fourteen years in the State penitentiary at Michigan City. The trial has been in progress for three weeks. The evidence in the case showed that Kellogg secured from residtiuLl of Tippecanoe county several thousand- dollars for land which he represented he owned in Alberta, Canada.